hand stretch excercizes

[daz]

I am having great trouble, indeed i find it impossible to stretch four frets at the bottom end, or even the top end on the E and A strings. There are supposedly excercizes that can be done. Has anyone had any actual sucess with any of them? If so, where can i find details?

Its not that i have too much trouble playing. But if i want to keep my thum as an anchor on the back of the neck then i have to slide my hand a little.

Edited October 20, 2010 by daz

[risingson]

[quote name='daz' post='994926' date='Oct 20 2010, 03:16 PM']I am having great trouble, indeed i find it impossible to stretch four frets at the bottom end, or even the top end on the E and A strings. There are supposedly excercizes that can be done. Has anyone had any actual sucess with any of them? If so, where can i find details?[/quote]

If you'll excuse me for asking, why would you need to stretch so far? You mean from a low F on the 1st fret of your E to the A at the 5th for example? The only reason I ask is because the interval is a major 3rd which you can always fret on the string above.

[daz]

Well what I mean is the old one fret per finger thing, that you constantly hear on just about every tutorial ive ever seen or read. The problem is i just have small hands. As my jamming pal says "you have the hands of a 13 year old girl. When you gonna give them back!" Oh how I laugh every time he quippeth.

Untill now I have often counted myself lucky, as i can often get my hands into gaps or places on a vehicle that make it a lot easier to wield a spanner or similar tool, often saving much time and bother (Yes I was a machanic in a former exsistance)

[Doddy]

If it's an uncomfortable stretch then don't do it. Down in the lower positions try using a 3 fret stretch instead-double
bass style. Put your 1st finger on the F,2nd on F# and little finger on G. Don't try to stretch your hand further than it
wants to go.Instead,use your thumb as a pivot. Even though I can happily play finger per fret style,down low I nearly
always play over 3 frets as I find it more relaxed. I usually switch to one finger per fret at around 5th position.

[risingson]

[quote name='daz' post='995075' date='Oct 20 2010, 04:54 PM']Well what I mean is the old one fret per finger thing, that you constantly hear on just about every tutorial ive ever seen or read. The problem is i just have small hands. As my jamming pal says "you have the hands of a 13 year old girl. When you gonna give them back!" Oh how I laugh every time he quippeth.

Untill now I have often counted myself lucky, as i can often get my hands into gaps or places on a vehicle that make it a lot easier to wield a spanner or similar tool, often saving much time and bother (Yes I was a machanic in a former exsistance)[/quote]

I've got small hands as well, honestly it was embarrassing the other day having to have my hand span compared to that of a child's by a friend... literally. You're not alone here

The idea with the finger per fret thing is not literally to have each finger occupying a fret, rather the ability use your hand as a pivot in order to access four frets with your four individual fretting fingers. This shouldn't require too much effort. I've just been speaking on another post about a warming up technique I used to like to use, the post itself can be found here [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=107166"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=107166[/url] at the bottom of the page. The basic premise is to begin the finger per fret exercise with your middle finger on your low C at the 8th fret on your E string, and playing up and down different intervals, just within the confines of the scale to begin with.

The reason you would want to start any kind of left hand warmup in the middle of the neck is because practicing scales lower down a bass guitar neck will introduce an unnecessary amount of strain into your wrist too soon, and will not benefit you if you're trying to get this particular technique together. Once you feel like you've warmed up a bit then creep down the neck a little at a time.

[daz]

Cheers i will that a try.

[JakeBrownBass]

[quote name='daz' post='994926' date='Oct 20 2010, 03:16 PM']I am having great trouble, indeed i find it impossible to stretch four frets at the bottom end, or even the top end on the E and A strings. There are supposedly excercizes that can be done. Has anyone had any actual sucess with any of them? If so, where can i find details?

Its not that i have too much trouble playing. But if i want to keep my thum as an anchor on the back of the neck then i have to slide my hand a little.[/quote]



Dave Marks talks about this here.

[iamthewalrus]

[quote name='Doddy' post='995090' date='Oct 20 2010, 05:05 PM']If it's an uncomfortable stretch then don't do it. Down in the lower positions try using a 3 fret stretch instead-double
bass style. Put your 1st finger on the F,2nd on F# and little finger on G. Don't try to stretch your hand further than it
wants to go.Instead,use your thumb as a pivot. Even though I can happily play finger per fret style,down low I nearly
always play over 3 frets as I find it more relaxed. I usually switch to one finger per fret at around 5th position.[/quote]

+1 to this - I've got small hands, & this works fine for me even on a 5 string.